Rotary engine.



Patented Dec. [8, 1900.

No. 664,20l

G. W. WHITEHEAD. ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed Sept. 17, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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PATENT FFICYE.

GEORGE W. WHITEHEAD, OF MONTEZUMA, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OB ONE- HALF TO WILLIAM A. COOHRAN, OF SAME PLACE.

ROTARY ENG-IN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,201, dated December 18, 1900.

Application filed beptember 17, 1900. Serial No. 30,297. (No model.)

[0- all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WHITE- HEAD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montezuma, in the county of Poweshiek and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to rotary engines, and has for its object to provide an engine that is simple and durable in construction and in which the expansion of steam is utilized to its fullest extent.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is aside elevation of my rotary engine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with one side of the steam chamber or casing removed. Fig. 3 represents a vertical transverse section on line on a: of Fig. 2 and an end elevation, showing two engines'on one shaft and a clutch for securing either engine to the shaft.

Referring to the drawings, the piston-disk 1 is secured to the sleeve 2, which is loosely mounted on shaft 12. The edge of said disk is flanged to form a groove or recess 3: The pistons or sliding gates 4;;preferably three in number, operate in radial slots 5, formed in the piston-disk. The inner ends of the said pistons have axially mounted thereon antifrictional rollers 6, which project outside of the piston-diskand travel in acam-groove 7, formed in plates 8, secured to uprights 9 on each side of and adjacent to the piston-disk.

Embracing the lower or under side of the piston-disk and supported by standards 10is the steam chamber or casing 11, the upturned sides of which are outside of and in close proximity to the sides of the piston-disk and are made steam-tight therewith by means of suitable packing The steam-chamber 11 extends nearly half-way around the disk and has secured to it or integral with its upper end a standing head or steam-back 14, which closely fits the peripheral recess in the pistondisk and is provided with an inlet-port 15, as shown in dotted linesin Fig. 1. The other end of the casing is left open and has secured to its outer edge one end of a shield or cover 24, which shield passes up in the groove of the piston-disk and has its other end secured to the inner end of the standing head 14. An exhaust-port 23 is placed at the end of the steam-chamber.

A cut-off valve 17 is arranged in a box or casing 18 at the outer end of the standing head 14 and between the inlet-port '15 and the main steam-admission pipe 19 and is operated by suitable mechanism, hereinafter described, whereby the steam is cutoff three times during each revolution of the disk or once between each piston-head. A governor 20, connected with the pipe 19, regulates the admission of steam to the said pipe. An additional inlet-pipe or supplemental feed-pipe 21 is connected with the main pipe at a point above the cut-off valve and has an entrance in the steam-chamber below the inlet-port 15. This supplemental pipe is also provided with a governor 22 and has for its object to allow the admission'of an extra supply of steam into the steam-chamber in case the expansion of the steam already in the said chamber is not sufficient to carry the disk around to the point where the cutoff valve will be operated to admit another supply of steam from the main inlet-pipe.

The cut-off valve 17 is operated by means of striker-arms 26, projecting from one side of the piston-disk adjacent the periphery thereof, striking the ends of a cam 27, secured to one end of a rocking bar 28. The rocking bar is held in support or bracket 29, secured to the steam chamber or casing adjacent the cut-off valve, and has fixed to its outer end an operating rod or lever 30, which is suitably connected to the end of the cut-off-valve slide 17. The striker-arms 26 consist of six members placed at equal distances apart around one side of the piston-disk, and each alternate arm projects a distance from the disk farther than its next adjacent arm nearly equal to the length of the cam 27,so

that during the revolution of the disk the longer arm will come in contact with the outer end of the cam and force the said end downward, turn the bar 28 and the connecting-rod 30, and draw outwardly the slide of the cut-off valve, while the short arm will come in contact with the inner end of the cam and force it downwardly, reversing the above motion, and force the slide'of the cutoif valve backward, thus giving the said valve a reciprocating movement, and as there is a long and a short arm between each piston-head the cut-off valve will be opened and closed three times during each revolution of the disk.

In Fig. 3 Ihave shown a right and left hand engine on the same shaft and a clutch 25 slidably secured to the shaft, which clutch may be engaged with either engine, as desired, the other engine remaining stationary.

The operation of my engine is as follows: A suflicient quantity of steam is admitted through the cut-ofi valve to force the piston one-third of its revolution. The steam thus enters a steam-tight chamber formed by the piston, piston-head, and the casing and is calculated to have suflicient expansive force to carry the piston around to the point where the eut-ofl valve Will be operated to admit a fresh supply of steam. In case, however, for various reasons the steam has not suflicient force to carry the disk the required distance the auxiliary steam-pipe 21, which admits steam around the cut-off valve and is regulated by means of its governor and suitable connections with the shaft of the engine, will admit steam into the steam-chamber when the engine slacks in speed, thus indicating that the usual amount of steam admitted by the main pipe is not sufficient. It will be observed that the piston-heads are advanced to their required positions in the steam-chamber by the engagement of their antifrictional rollers in the cam grooves formed in the plates 9 and are retracted into the body of the piston upon leaving the said chamber.

It will be noted that there is no opportunity for steam to be wasted in my engine, as the expansion takes place between the standing head 14 and the piston-head 4., and thus gives no back pressure, and that only a sulficient amount of steam is admitted to operate the engine.

What I claim is 1. In a rotary engine, the combination with a piston and steam-chamber, inlet and exhaust ports, of a cut-0E valve connected with the inlet-valve and steam-supply pipe, and a supplemental supply-pipe connecting the steam-supply pipe above the said cut-off valve with the steam-chamber, whereby additional steam is furnished the engine if needed independent of the cut-off valve, substantially as set forth.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination with a flanged piston having radially-sliding gates provided with antifrictional rollers working in cam-grooves formed in plates secured to uprights on each side of the said piston, of a semicircular steam-chamber embracing the flanged portion of the piston having a steamback portion closing one end and projecting between the said flanges, a steam-port in the said steam-back, an automatic cut-01f valve connected therewith, and a supplemental supply-pipe connecting the main pipe with the steam-chamberand means connected with the said pipe whereby additional steam is automatically furnished the engine if required, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. WHITEHEAD. Witnesses:

J. W. CARR, W. A. CooHaAN. 

